Elections 2019: War of Words Intensifies Between Rajbhar’s party and BJP in UP

New Delhi: The war of words between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), has intensified in Uttar Pradesh, with the latter accusing the ruling party of ‘using’ the name and picture of its party chief, Om Prakash Rajbhar, in its area of influence among the Rajbhar community for campaigning in the general election. The SBSP has broken its electoral alliance with BJP and has decided to go it alone in the general elections.

On Thursday, SBSP said it had written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking their intervention into the matter. The letter reads that SBSP is contesting Lok Sabha elections from different constituency for upcoming fifth, sixth and seventh phase in Uttar Pradesh and BJP's candidate of Ballia Lok Sabha is using its party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar's photo for hoardings and banners which is totally illegal and violation of model code of conduct.

Speaking to Newsclick, Arun Rajbhar, SBSP’s spokesperson said, "In Purvanchal areas, including Deoria, Salempur, Ballia Ghosi, the BJP is using the name and picture of our party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar in canvassing, posters, banners. In these constituencies, SBSP candidates are in the fray. They (BJP) are giving a message to the people that Rajbhar and Modi have good relations and are asking people to vote in the name of Modi. They are actually fooling the people.” 

He claimed that the "Election Commission has send them notice not to use our party chief photo or any sort of symbol,” adding that “BJP is a party which has never given respect to the most backward classes and Dalits.” The Rajbhar community constitutes 2.60% of the entire state's population.

This is not the first time that SBSP has attacked BJP. On April 19, while addressing a rally in Ballia, party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is still a cabinet minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, accused the BJP of conspiring to weaken his party by bringing another regional party named the Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhar Sangathan in the electoral fray. An ally of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the SBSP has released a list of 39 candidates after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement with BJP. 

https://www.newsclick.in/Elections-2019-BJP-UP-Rajbhar-Party-SBSP%20to%20Contest  

The SBSP had won four seats in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls out of eight contested. 

Rebel Upendra Kushwaha

Rebel candidate Upendra Kushwaha, who had resigned from the post of Union council of ministers and walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, in December 2018, also accused the ruling BJP for their double standard with its allies. 

The Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) leader on April 25 in Darbhanga, Bihar said: "I worked with NDA earlier and have seen BJP from inside closely and they are different from inside and outside. Take the example of Ram Lila which has a great influenced on people. When the curtain rises, a person comes dressed as Sita Mata. People, especially women who watch Sita Mata on the stage, bow their heads out of respect, but if you go behind the curtain, the same Sita Ji can be seen smoking a cigarette (the role is generally performed by male actors). This is exactly the face of BJP…. People only recognise them from outside and do not see its real face…."

Since the Lok Sabha polls have been announced on March 10, the "making and breaking" of alliances with BJP, specifically in Uttar Pradesh, has been in the news, involving denial of "promised" seats to allies. Several regional political parties, including SBSP and Apna Dal, which were the part of NDA in 2014, walked out of the alliance. Most of these party candidates represent the weaker and marginalised sections.

Three phases of ongoing elections are already over in Uttar Pradesh with four phases remaining on April 29, May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.